The Videogames of Today

Technology seems to be improving exponentially.  Two decades ago, cell phones did not even exist.  Now, Apple has developed a cell phone that takes pictures, goes on the internet, utilizes skype (facetime), and has a robot that can respond to any voiced questions.  It's absurd thinking about it.  I believe this exponential growth in technological advances can be seen prominently in videogames.  I remember ten years ago, the Nintendo 64 was the modern console.  The games were in cartridges, and if they didn't work the first time, I would blow into them to eliminate any stray dust particles.  If the console were hit during gameplay, the game would freeze.  Back then, videogame graphics consisted of polygon figures and non-HD details.  Today, graphics are scarily life-like.  If the console is hit, the game won't freeze.  Some consoles even have motion controls, which back then would be considered incredibly futuristic.  For example, every movement you make with the Wii mote in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is what Link mimics with the sword in his hand.  Like I said, it's absurd.  However, there's one game in particular that I want to talk about that has blown my mind, and that game is called Skyrim.

Skyrim is a northern province of Tamriel, which is a parallel world to Earth.  In-game, the province is around two MILES long.  The game takes place in a somewhat medieval era of swords and bows, but added onto this is magic, goblins, trolls, orcs, human lizards, et cetera.  This world is HUGE and seemingly endless.  You can see every blade of grass on the ground, every shadow corresponding to the time of day, even dirt on a man's face.  Speaking of which, there are hundreds and hundreds of people to talk to in the game, and more than half of them ask you to do something for them.  You may walk up to this random man and he'll ask you to retrieve his stolen ring deep in a forbidden cave.  There is lots of fighting (which is always entertaining) and an endless amount of fighting styles.  You can choose to run into enemy territory swords a-blazing, or you can camp on top of a hill and snipe out the enemies with arrows to the head.  Or, you can launch fireballs from your hand at enemies from a distance.  The possibilities in this game are endless, and it's actually quite scary.  At this rate of technological advancement, we're not far from virtual reality video games.  Is this kind of technology headed in the wrong direction?  Are video games becoming too real?  We'll find out eventually.